Sultan Stamps of Trengganu

2/03/2012 General

Trengganu (modern Terengganu) is situated in north-eastern Peninsular Malaysia, and is bordered in the north-west by Kelantan and the south-west by Pahang. The eastern boundary is the South China Sea; this ensured a long history of trading along the ancient China Trade Routes.

The earliest written reports on the area that is now Terengganu were by Chinese merchants and seafarers in the early 6th century A.D. Like other Malay states, Terengganu practised a Hindu–Buddhist culture, combined with animist traditional beliefs, for hundreds of years before the arrival of Islam.

Terengganu emerged as an independent sultanate in 1724. The first Sultan was Tun Zainal Abidin, the younger brother of a former sultan of Johor.

In the 19th century, Terengganu became a vassal state of Thailand, and under Siamese rule, Terengganu prospered. However, under the terms of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909, power over Terengganu was transferred from Siam to Great Britain. A British advisor was appointed to the sultan in 1919, and Terengganu become one of the Non-Federated Malay States.

The Sultans pictured in the centre of the illustrations are Sultan Zain ul ab din on the 1910-19 issues and Sultan Suleiman on the 1921-41 issues.

During World War II, Japan occupied Terengganu and transferred sovereignty over the state back to Siam. After the defeat of Japan however, British control over these Malay states was re-established, and in 1948 Terengganu became a member of the Federation of Malaya and a state of independent Malaya in 1957.